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Post by corndog on Dec 31, 2018 23:41:09 GMT -5
It has to be Undertaker. Vince gave him the character and he wasn't a major star in any of the territories he worked(to my knowledge). Bret would certainly be another one, the Hitman character was completely developed in WWE. Sure, he was a top star for Stampede in his last few years there, but is that considered a major territory?
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Post by Joe Neglia on Jan 1, 2019 1:02:09 GMT -5
Sure, he was a top star for Stampede in his last few years there, but is that considered a major territory? From a historical aspect, yes. From a realistic aspect, no. Stampede had a massive impact on the business, but it was via influence not stature. As a territory, it covered either the largest or second largest amount of land of any of them (it and AWA were both massive range-wise), but it never commanded large crowds and big business. It was successful, but it wasn't much beyond that.
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Cranjis McBasketball
Crow T. Robot
Knew what the hell that thing was supposed to be
Peace Love and Nothing But
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Jan 1, 2019 3:07:14 GMT -5
Sure, he was a top star for Stampede in his last few years there, but is that considered a major territory? From a historical aspect, yes. From a realistic aspect, no. Stampede had a massive impact on the business, but it was via influence not stature. As a territory, it covered either the largest or second largest amount of land of any of them (it and AWA were both massive range-wise), but it never commanded large crowds and big business. It was successful, but it wasn't much beyond that. It's not really fair because I live in the territory, but everyone of a certain age, like 40+ knows Stampede Wrestling from Calgary.
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Post by corndog on Jan 1, 2019 12:34:49 GMT -5
From a historical aspect, yes. From a realistic aspect, no. Stampede had a massive impact on the business, but it was via influence not stature. As a territory, it covered either the largest or second largest amount of land of any of them (it and AWA were both massive range-wise), but it never commanded large crowds and big business. It was successful, but it wasn't much beyond that. It's not really fair because I live in the territory, but everyone of a certain age, like 40+ knows Stampede Wrestling from Calgary. I live in Indiana and the same can be said for Dick "the Bruiser" and the WWA, but it certainly wasn't a major territory by any means. However as Madison said, Stampede certainly has historical significance, especially with the talent they produced.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2019 12:51:56 GMT -5
I think it has to be the Undertaker if you look at it from a real purist perspective, in terms of being a relatively obscure guy, picked to play a role that surely wasn't his first choice, as if he's being cast for a movie, and made into a star. Even as far as Bret Hart goes, they initially wanted him to portray a cowboy character, and once he made it to the main event scene he was there long enough to find his voice and succeed in a way that was authentic to his own vision of himself than what the company probably intended for him.
I think most guys who become main eventers generally usually get there in a more collaborative sense, in that usually the performer gets over through his performances, and the booker positions them accordingly. With the Undertaker, he was pretty much created from the ground up. He was the perfect guy for the position, but I'm sure if he had his way at the time he'd have been some version of "Mean Mark Calloway" from the beginning. I don't think there are many cases like him where the promoter can take much of the credit, at least until the last decade where Vince is a lot more ornery and hands on with everything.
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efarns
Don Corleone
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Post by efarns on Jan 2, 2019 14:39:07 GMT -5
What about The Million Dollar Man?
Yes, Ted Dibiase was a top draw in Mid-South, but not as The Million Dollar Man? I think the gimmick was a pretty strong departure from what got him over before The WWF.
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Post by OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 on Jan 4, 2019 4:20:16 GMT -5
Randy Savage went from working on a shit outlaw promotion and never drawing a nickel to becoming a huge star thanks to the wwf machine.
Consider this, before joining the wwf, Savage had to steal a steak and hide it in his pants because he couldn’t afford to buy food.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2019 9:53:09 GMT -5
The OP didn't ask who Vince "created", but who he transitioned from minor player to major star.
It all really depends on how you define "minor player". Savage and Orndorff became major stars on Vince's platform, but I wouldn't say either of them were minor players prior to becoming headline acts in WWF. Mean Mark wrestled on PPV vs. Lex Luger for the US title and had a national stage as one of the Skyscrapers, so he doesn't qualify either.
I think the answer is the Dingo Warrior. Maybe he was a big deal in World Class for a short time, but it was a time when the territory was in rapid decline.
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efarns
Don Corleone
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Post by efarns on Jan 4, 2019 10:50:10 GMT -5
The OP didn't ask who Vince "created", but who he transitioned from minor player to major star. It all really depends on how you define "minor player". Savage and Orndorff became major stars on Vince's platform, but I wouldn't say either of them were minor players prior to becoming headline acts in WWF. Mean Mark wrestled on PPV vs. Lex Luger for the US title and had a national stage as one of the Skyscrapers, so he doesn't qualify either. I think the answer is the Dingo Warrior. Maybe he was a big deal in World Class for a short time, but it was a time when the territory was in rapid decline. As the OP, I asked the question to generate the discussion more than to arrive at the answer. As we talk about it, it's interesting to me that we get to Wrestlemanias 7-10 before we really see them carried by Vince Jr's creations. He is, after all, a promoter, not necessarily a creator.
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